SNAP has two separate work requirement systems, and they work very differently. One applies broadly to working-age adults. The other, known as the ABAWD rule, is stricter and carries a hard time limit. Knowing which rule applies to you, or someone in your household, can be the difference between keeping benefits and losing them. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in 2025, made the biggest changes to these rules in decades, so what was true in 2024 may not be true now.
What Are the General Work Requirements?
The general work requirements apply to most SNAP recipients between ages 16 and 59 who are able to work. These rules are straightforward: you must register for work with your state agency, accept a suitable job offer if one comes along, not voluntarily quit a job or cut your hours below 30 per week without good reason, and participate in any SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) or workfare program your state assigns you to.
You are automatically excused from the general work requirements if you fall into one of these categories:
- Currently working at least 30 hours per week (or earning at least $217.50 per week at minimum wage)
- Under age 16 or age 60 or older
- Physically or mentally unable to work
- Pregnant
- Caring for a child under age 6 or an incapacitated household member
- Enrolled at least half-time in a school or vocational training program
- Participating in a drug or alcohol treatment program
- Already meeting work requirements through TANF or unemployment compensation
The general work requirements do not carry a monthly hour target. The core obligation is to stay registered, accept suitable offers, and not walk away from a job without cause.
Consequences for Not Meeting General Requirements
If you fail to meet the general work requirements without a valid exemption, SNAP benefits are cut off on a penalty scale:
| Violation | Benefit Loss Period |
|---|
| First offense | 1 month |
| Second offense | 3 months |
| Third or subsequent offense | 6 months |
After the penalty period ends, you can reapply and regain eligibility, provided you meet the requirements going forward.
What Are the ABAWD Rules?
ABAWD stands for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents. This is a separate, stricter set of rules with a hard time limit. Before the 2025 law changes, ABAWDs were defined as adults ages 18 to 54 without dependent children in the household. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, that age range expanded to 18 to 64.
The ABAWD rule says that if you are in this group and you do not meet the work requirement, you can only receive SNAP for 3 months out of any 36-month period. That time limit runs regardless of whether you are otherwise income-eligible. Once you use those three months, SNAP stops until you either meet the work requirement or become exempt.
To avoid hitting the time limit, an ABAWD must meet at least one of these conditions every month:
- Work at least 80 hours per month (paid or unpaid)
- Participate in a SNAP E&T program for at least 80 hours per month
- Participate in a workfare program for the number of hours required by your state
The 80-hour monthly threshold is the key number. General work requirements ask you to maintain 30 hours per week on an ongoing basis. The ABAWD rule uses a monthly total, and it accepts volunteer work, job training, and workfare alongside paid employment.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| General Work Requirements | ABAWD Rules |
|---|
| Who it applies to | Ages 16 to 59, able to work | Ages 18 to 64, no child under 14 in household |
| Hours required | 30 hours/week minimum (or earn at least $217.50/week) | 80 hours/month (work, training, or volunteer) |
| Time limit on benefits | No time limit | 3 months in any 36-month period |
| Consequence for non-compliance | Escalating penalty periods (1, 3, or 6 months) | Benefit loss after 3 months, until compliant |
| Waiver available | No | Yes, in high-unemployment areas |
| Age-out | Exempt at age 60 | Exempt at age 65 (expanded from 55 under old rules) |
| Caring for a child | Exempt if child under 6 | Exempt if child under 14 in household |
What Changed in 2026 Under the One Big Beautiful Bill
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed in 2025 and taking effect starting December 2025 through early 2026, made several major changes to both rule sets.
Age expansion. The ABAWD age ceiling moved from 54 to 64. Adults ages 55 to 64, who were previously exempt from ABAWD rules, now must meet the 80-hour monthly requirement or face the three-month time limit. This affects an estimated one million or more Americans in that age group.
Dependent age change. Under the old rules, having a child under 18 in the household exempted you from ABAWD. The new law lowered that threshold. Now you must have a child under age 14 in the household to avoid ABAWD classification. If your youngest child is 14 to 17, you may now fall under ABAWD rules even if you were exempt before.
Exemptions removed. The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 had added exemptions for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth up to age 24. Those exemptions are no longer in effect. People in those groups who are otherwise classified as ABAWDs must now meet the 80-hour monthly requirement.
Waiver standard tightened. Under prior law, states could apply for waivers to suspend the ABAWD time limit in areas with high unemployment or insufficient job opportunities. The new law raised the unemployment threshold to require a rate above 10 percent for an area to qualify for a waiver. That is significantly higher than the old standard, which meant fewer areas will be eligible for waivers going forward.
Implementation timeline. Most states began tracking months toward the ABAWD three-month limit starting December 1, 2025. Full enforcement, including benefit terminations for people who have used three months without meeting the work requirement, began rolling out through early 2026.
Who Is Exempt from ABAWD Rules in 2026
Even after the changes, these groups are still exempt from the ABAWD time limit:
- Adults age 65 or older
- Adults with a physical or mental disability that prevents them from working
- People receiving SSI or SSDI
- Adults enrolled in school at least half-time
- Pregnant individuals
- Individuals caring for a child under age 14
- People participating in a drug or alcohol treatment program
Note that being exempt from ABAWD rules does not necessarily mean you are exempt from general work requirements. The two rule sets operate independently.
The Overlap: Who Faces Both Sets of Rules
Some adults face both the general work requirements and the ABAWD rules simultaneously. This is common for adults ages 18 to 59 without dependents who are able to work. In this situation, the ABAWD rules are generally more consequential because they carry the three-month time limit. Meeting the ABAWD requirement (80 hours per month) typically satisfies the general work requirements as well, since 80 hours monthly averages out to roughly 20 hours per week.
However, they are not identical standards, and state agencies track compliance separately. Always confirm with your state caseworker how compliance with one requirement is reported and whether it counts toward the other.
SNAP E&T Programs: Meeting Requirements Without a Job
If you cannot find paid work, SNAP Employment and Training programs offer a path to meeting both the general work requirements and the ABAWD time limit rules. These state-run programs provide:
- Job search assistance and placement
- Vocational training and certificate programs
- Work experience placements
- Education programs
Hours spent in a SNAP E&T program count toward the ABAWD 80-hour monthly threshold. Participation is typically assigned by your state SNAP agency. Some states have robust programs; others have limited slots. If you are assigned to E&T and there are no available openings, that situation may qualify you for a temporary exemption, depending on your state's policies.
Discretionary Exemptions
States receive a limited number of discretionary exemptions each federal fiscal year, which they can apply to ABAWDs who do not otherwise qualify for a statutory exemption. These exemptions are allocated by USDA based on state SNAP caseloads. States can apply them to:
- People in areas with high unemployment not covered by a statewide waiver
- People facing barriers to employment that do not rise to the level of a formal disability
- People in job training pipelines waiting for program slots
The number of available discretionary exemptions is limited and varies by state. They are not guaranteed, and states set their own policies for how to prioritize them.
How to Find Out Which Rules Apply to You
The fastest way to determine whether you face general work requirements, ABAWD rules, or both is to contact your state SNAP agency at the time of application or recertification. Your eligibility worker is required to tell you which requirements apply to your case and what you need to do to stay in compliance.
Key questions to ask:
- Am I subject to general work requirements?
- Am I classified as an ABAWD?
- Have I started using months toward my ABAWD three-month limit?
- What activities count toward compliance in my state?
- Does my state have any ABAWD waivers in effect for my area?
You can also use the Benefits Navigator screener at /screener to check your overall SNAP eligibility and understand where you stand before contacting your state agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between general SNAP work requirements and ABAWD rules?
General work requirements apply to most adults ages 16 to 59 and require you to register for work, accept job offers, and not quit without cause. ABAWD rules apply specifically to able-bodied adults ages 18 to 64 without a child under 14 in the household, and they impose a hard three-month time limit on benefits for people who do not complete 80 hours per month of work, training, or volunteer activity.
Do I have to meet both the general work requirements and the ABAWD rules?
It depends on your situation. If you are an ABAWD, you typically face both sets of rules. Meeting the ABAWD requirement (80 hours per month) usually satisfies the general requirement as well, but confirm with your state agency since they track compliance separately.
What counts as qualifying activity under ABAWD rules?
Paid employment, unpaid volunteer work, and participation in a SNAP Employment and Training program all count. You must accumulate at least 80 hours in a calendar month. Workfare hours assigned by your state also count.
What changed for adults ages 55 to 64 under the new law?
Adults ages 55 to 64 were previously exempt from ABAWD rules. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which took effect in late 2025, the ABAWD age range expanded to 18 to 64. Adults ages 55 to 64 must now meet the 80-hour monthly requirement or face the three-month time limit. The exemption now starts at age 65.
Are veterans still exempt from ABAWD rules?
No. The exemption for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth (up to age 24) that was added in 2023 has been removed under the new law. These groups must now meet ABAWD work requirements if they do not qualify for another exemption.
Can states waive ABAWD time limits?
Yes, but the criteria are now stricter. States can apply for a waiver for geographic areas where the unemployment rate exceeds 10 percent. Before the 2025 law, the threshold was lower. States can also grant discretionary exemptions to individuals, but the number of those exemptions is limited and allocated annually by USDA.
What happens if I fail to meet ABAWD requirements?
If you do not meet the 80-hour monthly requirement and are not exempt, your months receiving SNAP count toward the three-month limit. Once you reach three months in a 36-month period, SNAP benefits stop. To regain eligibility, you must begin meeting the work requirement or qualify for an exemption. Once you do, you can reapply.
Does having a child age 14 to 17 exempt me from ABAWD?
No. Under the updated rules, only having a child under age 14 in the household exempts you from ABAWD classification. If your youngest child is 14 or older, you may now be subject to ABAWD rules even if you were exempt before the 2025 law changes.
Where can I check my SNAP eligibility?
Use the free Benefits Navigator screener at /screener to see whether you may qualify for SNAP and other programs. For help understanding work requirements specific to your state, contact your state SNAP agency directly.
